Electrolytic apparatus



. INVENTOR IA Patented Aug. l?, 1'14897.

RBALBACHJT. BLEOTROLYTIG APPARATUS.

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WITNESSES:

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' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE."

EDWARD BALACH, JR., OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

ELECTRO LYTEIC APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 588,524, ldated August 17, 1897.

Application filed July?, 1896. Serial No. 597,864- [No model.) Y Y To all whom/jt may concern:

Be it known that 1,EDWARD BALBACH, J r, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Newark, inthe county of Essex and State of New Jersey, haveinvenjted a new and useful Improvement in Electrolytic Ap'- paratus, of Whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in apparatus for the separation of precious metals by electrolysis; and the object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of such construction that the metals which it is desired to separate, in whatever form they have been precipitated out of the electrolyte, can be easily and readily removed from the bath without in anyY lay interfering with or stopping the electrolytic separation.

A further object is to construct a ysimple and cheap vessel inwhichthe separationis effected and which requiresno motive power to operate it, and also to provide a form of tank in which the greatest possible diffusion of the magnetic'density of the electric cur-v rent is effected.

The invention relates particularly tothat class of electrolytic apparatus in which the cathode is placed upon the bottom of the box or tank in which the precipitation is effected, and the anodes are formed of the alloys, mattes, or ores to be treated, and which are suspended inV suitable cases in the box or tank submergedy in the electrolyte, or which may be used With an insoluble anode.

rlhe desired vobject is accomplished, first, by making the box or tank (hereinafter called the cathode-case very shallow and of such size and shape with respect to the frames or cases in which the anodes are placed, or in respect to the anodes themselves, ifinsoluble anodes be used, that the latter willonly partly cover the cathode-case and will leave at one side an open space from which the metals deposited,whether in the form of crystals or otherwise, can be removed when desired; secondly, in lining this box or tank Wholly or partly with, metal which can form a cathode, thereby making a'cathode out of it, and, thirdly, in so inclining that portion of the bottom of the box or tank not covered bythe anodes that it will be possible to obtain access to the bottom of the box or tank beneath the anode at any time, and thus renderit possible to remove the precipitated crystals as they are separated from the electrolyte and fall to the bottom of the tank by means of scrapers, rakes, hoes, shovels, or

otherconvenient tools Without in any Way impeding or retarding the process.

' The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying sheet of drawings, forming a part ofl the specification, in which- Figure l is a sectional View of the apparatus on the lines l l of Fig. 2, and Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout both views.

In the drawings, A represents the tank or vessel called the cathode-case, in which the process is carried out. This is a shallow box of the general form indicated in the drawings. It may be constructed of wood, metal, earthenware, or other convenient material. It is made, as is shown in the drawings, with a divided bottom, one portion of which is flat and is indicated by A2, and the other part of which is sloping, as indicated by A. The 'sloping bottom A slopes down to and connects the horizontal or fiat bottom preferably' throughout its length, as shown in the views. A cross-beam A3 may run length- Wise across the top of the box, as shown in Fig. l, for supporting the ends of the anodecases when a number of vthem is used, as hereinafter indicated.

B B are the cases in which the anodes are placed. These anode-cases are suspended over that portion of the box or tank A2 which is provided with the fiat bottom. Any number of these may be used and they may be of any convenient dimensions; but in practice they are made of such size that it will take at least three to cover the horizontal portion Iof the bottom A2, so that they may be readily removed one by one in order to facilitate cleaning out the different parts of the tank, if desired. These anode-cases consist, essentially, of an interior framework B' of hard Wood or other material, provided with a grated bottom B2. These are held suspended in the box or tank A by the projecting ends b h of their side pieces B', which bridge over and rest upon `lthe side of the case A at one IOO end and upon the cross-beam E at the other end, as shown in Fig. 2. Each of the anodecases B is arranged to hold within it a smaller case C, which is provided with lter-cloth bottom C'. In the smaller case C is placed the material which is to be electrolytically separated either in the form of ore or mattes, if the same is capable of being treated, or else in the :form of an alloy. If the material to be treated is previously made into the form of a suitable alloy, then the alloy is simpl)v placed in the anode-case and connected with the electrolytic circuit direct and thus making the anode. In such a case the alloy is cast in the form of ingots or bars S S, which are laid upon the bottom of the inner case C, as shown in the views, and a block D, which is cast of the alloy to be treated and is provided at its upper extremity with a pole-'piece D by which it is connected with the circuit, as shown by Fig. l, is placed upon the row of bars or ingots S S, and, if necessary, a seoond row of bars may be laid upon the first row, so that electrical connection is effected throughout all parts of the anode-case.

H Vis the battery, and I is a circuit-breaker in the circuit, of any suitable construction.

The anode-case may be replaced by any insoluble anode suspended in the solution over the cathode, and any disposition of the insoluble anodes may be made that will not prevent and interfere with the access to the space under the anodes above the cathodeplate hereinafter referred to.

The cathode-case A is provided with a plate upon the flat part of the bottom, to which the negative terminal of the battery is connected, thus making it the cathode, or the cathodecase may be lined throughout with a single sheet of metal, to which the negative terminal is attached, thus making the entire box serve as a cathode. In practice the cathodeplate may be made of carbon plates placed side by side, so as to formacontinuous catliode-plate, or it may be made of a plate of any suitable metal, or of plates of the particular metal which it is desired to separate from the electrolyte.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The anode-cases B B, where one or more are used, are suspended from the box or tank A, as shown in the drawings. The inner cases C of the anode-cases, which are provided with the filter-cloth bottom, are then placed in the cases B, so as to rest upon the grated bottom B2, and over lter-cloth C', laid thereon. On top of the blocks of alloy are placed the anode-blocks D, the electric connections made, and the solution for dissolving the blocks, which may be of any desired composition, is then introduced into the box or tank until the whole cathode-case, including the iiat portion of the blocks D, is covered therewith. Thereupon the alloy will immediately commence to dissolve in the solution, and when the current is applied from the battery, as fast as the alloy is dissolved, the solution will be decomposed and t-he precious metal to be separated will be precipitated upon the plate forming the cathode. In case silver bullion is being treated the pure silver will be deposited in the form of small crystals on the flat portion of the bottom of the box or tank A2. This can readily be removed by hoeing, raking, or shoveling it away by the insertion of asuitable tool at the point G into the cathode-case. This may be done at any time without disturbing any parts of or interfering with the Work. If for any reason it is desired to obtain access to the fiat bottom of the tank or box forming the cathode-case, one or more of the anode-cases may be removed without disturbing the others or interrupting the operation. During the electrolysis gold or platinum and other non-soluble metals will remain upon the filter-cloth as -a iinc slime, from which they can be removed and collected at any time by lifting out the cases B or otherwise.

I do not necessarily confine myself either to the use of any particular' anode or to the use of a particular number of anode-cases, as in certain cases an insoluble anode may preferably be employed, suitably suspended over the cathode-plate, and in the `case of smaller apparatus a single anode-case covering the flat portion of the cathode-case will be found sufficient for all practical purposes.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination of a cathode-case, com` posed of a trough having its bottom divided into two portions, one of which is horizontal and the other of which is inclined, so as to slope down to and connect with the horizontal portion, throughout its length, Vand provided with a cathodeplate; and an anode suspended therein, arranged lto cover the horizontal portion of the bottom only.

2. The combination of a cathode-case, composed of a trough having 'its bottom divided into two portions, one of which is horizontal and the other of which is inclined, so as to slope down to and connect with the horizon-A tal portion throughout its length, yand lined throughout with a suitable material whereby the whole inner surface thereof serves as a cathode; and an Aanode suspended therein, arranged to cover the horizontal portion of the bottom only.

3. The combination of a cathode-casecomposed of -a trough having its bottom divided into two portions, one of which is lhorizontal and the other of which is i-nclined, so as to slope down to and connect with the horizontal portion throughout its length; and -provided with a cathode-plate; Aand an Vanodecase composed of an exterior frame havinga grated bottom and provided with van inner frame with a lter-cloth bottom, vfitting yinto the exterior case, arranged to cover the horizontal portion of the cathode-case, only.

4. The combi-nation of a cathode-case composed of -a trough having its bottom divided into two portions, one of which is horizontal,

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and the other of which is inclined, so as to slope down to and connect with the horizontal portion throughout its length; a cathode upon saidebottom; anda series of removable anode-cases arranged transversely side by side, to cover the horizontal portion of the cathode-case, only.

5. The combination of a cathode-case composed of a trough having its bottom divided into two portions, one of which is horizontal, and the other of which is inclined, so as to slope down to and connect With the horizontal portion throughout its length.; a cathode upon said bottom; and a series of removable anode-cases arranged transverselyside by side each composed of an exterior frame havlng a grated bottom and provided with an inner` EDWARD BALBACH, JR. Witnesses:

WILLARD PARKER BUTLER, JOHN FRENCH. 

